


Runaway bride

by lantislyfe



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, M/M, an au, he has a wife shocker, kind of asshole steve, no fucks given billy, not alot of smut if any, steve is an actual dad, steves trying okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 16:56:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16022099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lantislyfe/pseuds/lantislyfe
Summary: Things change and life goes on.Can old photos and a broke down car really change that much?





	1. Chapter 1

August 8th, 1992

 

“Sarah, where did you say her backpack was”, Steve was looking for his daughter's backpack among all the moving boxes that were waiting to be shipped to their new home. It was finally their turn to be the ones who leave the godforsaken town called Hawkins. He had loved it there but his family was growing so they took the chance. Shit, he was 26 with a wife, two kids and another one on the way. “Honey, it's right here”, it was Sara with a small pink backpack hanging from her pointer finger and a small giggle. He turned around meeting her beautiful green eyes, he took her into his arms, let their lips meet. “my bad”, they kissed once again this time meet by their kids protesting noise, “gross”. Sara escaped the hug, started to tell them to carry their stuff to the car as she and Steve made sure they had gotten everything.

 

He went down the hall where their oldest had taken her first steps, where the picture-perfect family portraits had hung. They had only lived in the house for a couple of years, but it had been years of memories, big dinners and life-changing moments. He passed the rooms, the doors where there were small lines indicating their growth curve, Harriet H 1988. It felt as time had been flying, his girl was 5! He had only seen Sara for about 6 months when she told him about her being pregnant, he decided it was time to man up, buy a house and support for his now new family. Harriet had only been 2 years when she got a baby brother, they named him David. The kids were the most beautiful he had ever seen, but he might be a little biased.

They had dark green eyes with dark loose curly hair, Steve liked to think that they looked more like their momma, he sure as hell hoped they got her bubbly personality and a big kind heart. When Steve got the news that he was going to be a dad he got a weird mix between fear and excitement, but after a consultation with his father, he figured he would be okay, and so far he hadn't done any major fault in the role as a dad. Dustin had been over the moon when Steve told him, Dustin finally saw his chance to be the role model for the kid as Steve had been for him.

 

After Harriet came it had been nice, Joyce and Hopper had helped a lot or at least Joyce. He had always gone to them when shit turned to shit or he needed help with something.

Just a few months after Harriet had been born and charmed all their friends Carol also got pregnant, but Tommy had not been able to withstand the pressure of parenthood and raising a kid so he packed his bags and ran, Steve always knew he was a pussy, no good of a man.

Nancy and Jonathan had moved as well, but they had no kids, said they liked to enjoy quiet time and being able to do whatever they wanted. It was the second kid, David, that had been the worst, he had been a screamy baby and nothing had seemed to work to calm him down. It didn't make it better when Sara had fallen into PND, Sara had not been able to connect with the boy either. Steve tried not to worry. But it was hard not to worry about it when David was 3 and still haven't called her for mom or mommy. The folk around them just assured them that he was a daddy's boy. When he screamed at night it wasn't Sara that went on to his room to check on it, no it was Steve. Maybe this move was gonna do them good. That was their plan at least

They pulled out of the driveway for the last time, watched the house disappear behind the car, the drove past the house where he used to go to Halloween parties in his teenage years, past the school, they made a final stop by the sheriff station where he knew they could say goodbye to Dustin and Hopper for the last time. Dustin to his surprise had gotten a job at the station, Hopper liked to say that Dustin could annoy a confession out of any criminal, no matter the crime.

He would miss them, but he told himself that this wouldn't be the end of their history together. They talk a little, Dustin looks like he's about to cry, but he promises to visit them “regularly”. Dustin even gives Harriet one of his old books he used to read when he was just a kid, tells her to read it when she's old enough. “Steve, I think we'll have to get going”, it's Sara, He tells her he'll be right out. He ruffles Dustin wild mop of hair, tells him to take care and not be too annoying to Hopper. When he turns to Hopper he gets a hug, Hopper tells him “you'll figure it out kiddo”.

 

July 11th, 1985

Steves' cheeks are red, red from crying and drinking. Billy had left him, gone with the wind.

Hopper had been on his way home when he saw the familiar BMW parked by the road lights on. He shined his flashlight into the car right at the face that was pressed against the steering wheel. Unsure what to do he taps the flashlight on the car window, Steve looks up, wipes his eyes with the ends of his sweater. He figured it had something to do with the boy that had raced out of town today. He states the obvious when Steve has the window down “You been drinking?”, He nods as a new flood of tears come rushing. Hopper looks up from the car and the mess of a boy, “are your parents home tonight?”. Steve breaks down crying again as he presses out a ‘no’. “well you can't stay here can you?”. He doesn't respond, he steps out of the car, his whole body shaking from the cold and the crying. Hopper leans into the car and kills the ignition and locks it after them.

 

“you need to breathe kid, don't want you passing out do we?”.

It feels nice to sit in the car, he feels his body loosen a bit, the shaking coming to an end.

“he promised me, he promised me that he wouldn't leave. I don't think my heart will physically hold this”. Hopper can see himself in this situation, a teenage heartbreak was always worst. He knows the pain he's going through. “ I know that it may feel hopeless right now, that you won't be able to cope, but I promise you that you will figure it out kiddo”.

By the time they pull up to the byers Steve is passed out, He needs Jonathan's help to bring him in.

At the same time, Billy is just as drunk shouting song lyrics into the air while he takes some dull scissors to his hair in a motel along the way to his freedom. Posts the letter he had laying in the car.


	2. Chapter 2

**August 13th, 1992**

 

Steve is alone at the new house unpacking, Sara had a bad morning she said she needed to leave the house for a while so she decided to explore the neighborhood for a while bringing the kids with her. Steve likes it here, it's warmer than back home, the houses are more expensive as well. Their house is yellow with white details a moderate size porch to match, the only thing missing from the American dream is the white picket fence other than that they are set. He goes through the box that says “other”, it contains some photo albums,  candles and some decoration pieces that he is sure they will throw out once a new trend is on. But at the bottom is a box, he knows exactly what it contains. Its the photos of his ýouth, he smiles looking at them. There is one where its Dustin posing for the camera from the night of the dance, there is one of Tommy and him giving each other a hug on graduation day. Then he sees the one of him and Billy leaning against the blue Camaro, Billy's arm around his shoulders and a million dollar smile. It was one of the many days at the lake house, it must've been Jonathan who took it. He closes the box and shoves it into the back corner of the closet after he sees the one of Billy semi-nude in the bed tangled in the sheets, he feels a little ashamed when he feels himself flush red. 

 

“Daddy! we got  _ ice cream!” _ . Steve forgets about the photos for now.

“Oh yeah? really, before dinner?” Harriet gives him a quick hug and a noise of agreement, then she was out back door dragging David with her. He looks over at Sara who was leaning against the counter her face in her hands, “Hey, hey, are you okay?” , Sara looks up with teary eyes. “What if it happens again? What if the next baby doesn't like me either, he still hasn't called me mom” tears were falling by now. She falls into his arms hugging him like it was the last time she would. “I'm sure he's just affected by the whole moving process” Steve knew he was lying for her and himself but it helps for the moment, “if you want I can take them for a drive so you can catch some sleep, you look tired”, She pulls back wipes her tears says something about ‘the damn hormones’ and makes her way to the bedroom.

 

The kids are asleep in the back to the local pop radio shouts out Madonna from the stereo when he pulls over to take a smoke, he had promised to stop smoking when Harriet was born but he was just so stressed the last couple of days. He felt as when he was a teenager and tried to hide the fact that he smoked from his mother, he was pretty sure that his mom didn't really care though. He looked through the back window of the Audi he was given from his father as a moving present, swore to not get a 4th kid because he was  _ not  _ going to drive a minivan. He looks back just in time to miss the blCamaroaro that speed by and maybe was that for the better. He looks out at the view, down the dry grass hills. This is home now. 

 

The whole situation reminded him of when they brought Harriet home, the first night in a house with another living thing in it! Hopper and Joyce had come by in the morning and Joyce was so happy she looked like she would burst, she and Sara admired her like she was a piece of art worth millions and millions. Hopper and Steve had sat on the porch a cigarette each even though they had promised their girls they wouldn't. They never talked about the night when Hopper found him on the road, no they talked about how stressful and confusing this whole parent thing was, is. Steve had asked if he thought that he would make an good dad, Hopper had smiled taken a drag and said “i'm sure you will”. He wanted to more of a dad to his kids than what his dad had been to him, he always made sure to show up at all activities and always was on time when picking them up from playdates. 

He lowers the volume and drives home again.

 

**May 20th, 1984**

 

Their under the bleachers, the sun is setting and the summer is prominent in the air.

“okay, ten years from now?”, Steve propped himself up on his elbow looking at Billy deep in thought. Their eyes connect, steves face light up “You and me on a beach somewhere traveling the world, maybe a dog, but like a small cute one”. Billy laughs at the thought, but he likes it, just them, alone in a world that don't belong to them.  They end up fooling around under the bleachers, their jeans staining green. That's the night he tells him he loves him, under the stars and bleachers that hold a history of lovers and proud parents.

 

They share a cigarette on the hood of Steve's car, the only one they have left.

The smoke lingers out into the night air seeking the moon, Billy's nose is red and Steve thinks its the funniest thing he's ever seen, he looks like Rudolf! Steve drives Billy home, gives him a goodnight kiss and a promise of meeting him the next day.

 

When Steve gets home, he is greeted by his mom in the kitchen.

She asks him about the green stains on his brand new levis, he tells her that he tripped on the way to the door. She asks him about the jacket that smells like smoke, he gives up tells him he meet a girl after school and that he lost track of time. It's a stern smile, the one she gives whenever she hears something mildly amusing.  She knew, that was for sure. 

 

"Whats her name?"  _ oh, Bianca. _

"Old was she again?"  _ , 18 _

"Nice family?"  _ not enough for you to know them. _

 

After the small interrogation, he was sent to his room with a   _ “wash those jeans”. _

The next weekend he was going to the lake house with all his friends, Nancy and Jonathan included. 

 

**August 13t,h 1992**

 

It's a little after 4 when they come back home, Both Harriet and David sleeping. 

He carried them both inside one on each arm, carefully sneaking into the living room. 

They all eat dinner together, then he reads the kids a nighttime story about a brave knight saving the less fortunate from an evil king and his followers, he keeps reading it even after they are asleep. When he reaches into the closet to change into pajamas he sees the box once again, he pushes it way back this time. He slowly makes his way to the bed he shares with his love of life, the mother of his kids. He kisses her goodnight, as a husband should.

But his dreams arent of his beautiful wife next to him or his kids that he loves  _ dearly _ . No its of the boy that he loved as a teen, his runaway bride.   
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!  
> PND is "postnatal depression" a lot of parents ( mostly mothers ) can experience it after a child, this can have effects on how someone bonds with their child in some cases if help is not provided.


End file.
